If you’re operating a company and have employees, you may need workers comp insurance. That’s coverage designed to make sure your employees are protected if they’re injured at work. Depending on the kind of workers you have and the type of employment contract they fall under, it’s possible that this kind of coverage won’t be required. That’s why it’s a good idea to reach out to Colling Insurance Services Inc. if you’re in the Lakewood, CO area. Our knowledgeable agents are able to carefully consider your business needs and make sure you’re getting the right type of policy for the work your employees are involved in.

Worker’s comp can also protect you from injury if you’re a part of your business. A lot of owners, especially when they have small businesses, work at their company alongside people they hire. It’s important to make sure you and your company are properly protected, and that your employees will be able to have the type of coverage they need in order to get compensation for any work-related injuries they sustain. They don’t have to work in a dangerous profession to be at risk of harm, and even office workers can have work-based injuries that might need medical care.

Reach out to us today at Colling Insurance Services Inc. if you’re in the Lakewood, CO area and need workers comp insurance. Our trained professionals know what questions to ask in order to make sure you’re getting the right policy to cover your employees and fit your needs. Then you can have peace of mind, and be comfortable with following the employment rules for your business, too. It’s important that you focus on the protection of your company and the people who work there, so your business can thrive for years to come.

If you are in the Lakewood, CO area and want to start a small business, you may find that there is a lot of opportunities to be successful. Those that choose to start a company here do need to spend time finding ways to protect their organization. A great way that any business can do this is by getting a commercial insurance policy. There are a few reasons why business owners here need to have commercial coverage at all times.

Insurance Required by Lenders

For a business that wants to grow and develop, taking out a loan is often necessary. When you do take out a business loan, it will offer you the ability to purchase inventory, hire new staff or invest in the company any other way that you want. However, commercial lenders almost always require that their customers maintain commercial insurance until the loan is repaid in full as it offers valuable protection for the bank. 

Insurance Protects Viability of Company

You will also want to get a commercial insurance plan as it can help to protect the financial viability of the business. With commercial insurance coverage, you will have protection for your company assets and against the risk of liability. This can prove to be extremely valuable and will support your business during some difficult times. 

When you would like to get a commercial insurance plan in the Lakewood, CO area, it would be a good idea for you to call Colling Insurance Services Inc. There are a lot of important decisions that need to be made when you are shopping for commercial insurance and Colling Insurance Services Inc. can make it easier for you. The team is able to help you assess your needs and build a policy that gives your business proper protection. 

Commercial insurance is a fairly general term that business owners would be forgiven for getting confused. If you live in Lakewood, CO, Colling Insurance Services Inc. has a few general tips for understanding what this is and how to works to protect you, your employees, your customers, and your livelihood. 

What Is Commercial Insurance?

This type of insurance is one that’s specifically designed for business owners to cover any number of events that might occur. Like any insurance policy, it can be customized to fit your needs. So if you have employees, it might cover compensation if they’re injured on the job. If you’re a customer-facing business, it might cover you if someone were to slip and fall on the premises. 

How Do I Get Commercial Insurance?

Getting commercial insurance starts with understanding what you need from a policy. So if you happen to be located in a part of Lakewood, CO that’s more prone to flooding, you may want to tailor your coverage to ensure that you can repair your facility and replace any damaged inventory. If you’re working with highly litigious people, then you might want to increase your liability limits so that you’ll be able to handle a potential suit that comes your way. 

Who Can I Trust?

Colling Insurance Services Inc. is here to help you get what you’re looking for, regardless of whether you’re just starting out or you’re an established presence in the community. It’s not easy to navigate the many decisions of owning a commercial enterprise, but we know what to ask and how to go about structuring a policy that will be there for you through thick and thin. If you’re looking for a staff that can do the same, give us a call today. 

It’s pretty easy to apply for a commercial insurance quote in Lakewood, CO but it can be harder to understand all the details and if you are getting a policy to suit your needs.

The Details

This is where you should be spending the most time looking at your quote and comparing policies. The policy that has the lowest premium may not necessarily be the best one. Each quote will tell you what kind of policy you are looking at and what type of coverage it has. After you review the coverage, if you have questions about the policy then speak with an agent at Colling Insurance Services, Inc. For example, a quote will tell you how much general liability you will be getting per occurrence and how much the total policy will pay for claims filed through the policy year.  

There are some keywords that you should know when looking at the details. The per occurrence limit is the higher amount the policy pays during a single claim. The aggregate limit is the total for the claims paid in a policy period. The deductible is what you will pay out of pocket before you get any insurance benefits. 

Comparing Quotes

If you are looking for a general liability policy in Lakewood, CO, you may get quotes for a business owner’s policy, which has general liability included as well as property insurance and other policies bundled, or you may just have one for general liability. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples and only comparing the standalone liability policies to other standalone policies. Even if you are looking at the same type of policy, don’t just assume you are getting the same amount of coverage. Read carefully about what you are getting. Quotes are not final but they are a pretty good guess on what you will end up getting. 

Contact Colling Insurance Services, Inc. to get a quote on commercial insurance. 

If your Lakewood, CO business employs one or more workers, be they full or part-time, you’re required to have worker’s comp insurance. Worker’s comp covers accidental injuries of employees on the job. Worker’s comp is an important part of your company’s commercial insurance package. Here’s what all business owners should know about worker’s comp coverage from Colling Insurance Services, Inc.

What’s Covered by Worker’s Comp?

Workplace accidents can happen at any time, even in safe work environments. Worker’s comp insurance protects your business by covering employee injuries that occur on the job. This coverage includes: 

Accident Medical Costs – Worker’s comp pays for medical expenses of workers who are injured in an accident on the job. This includes slip and falls, broken bones, strains and sprains, back injuries, dislocations, and more. This coverage extends to rehab services or ongoing care, if needed, to help employees fully recover from injuries sustained on the job.   

Work-Related Illnesses – If an employee contracts an illness due to unhealthy workplace conditions such as poor ventilation, exposure to harmful substances, etc., worker’s comp in Lakewood, CO will help pay for his treatment costs.

Repetitive Injuries – Jobs that require repetitive actions like extensive sitting or standing or heavy lifting may result in repetitive injuries due to stressed muscles and joints. Worker’s comp will cover treatment for repetitive injuries if they are caused by your job.  

Lost Wages – Worker’s comp covers part of your employee’s lost wages while he or she is recuperating from an illness or injury related to his or her job.

Disability/Funeral Costs – If a work-related illness or accident results in disability or death, worker’s comp will pay disability benefits or cover funeral costs.

For more information about worker’s comp or commercial insurance policies in Lakewood, CO, contact Colling Insurance Services, Inc. today.

Owning a business comes with many responsibilities. One of these is making sure your workers are protected if they fall ill or are injured while on the job. The best way to protect your employees in Lakewood, CO is by purchasing workers’ compensation insurance from Colling Insurance Services Inc. However, if you are like some business owners, you may not think this is a necessary expense. Keep reading to learn why this is so important.

It’s the Law

Colorado law makes it illegal to not carry workers’ compensation insurance if you have one or more full- or part-time employees. What this means is that if you are the only person working for your company, this insurance coverage isn’t needed; however, once you hire your first employee if you don’t buy it, you are breaking the law. This comes with significant penalties and fines, so make sure to get sufficient coverage to protect your workers.

It Creates a Safer and More Productive Workplace

When you purchase workers’ compensation insurance, you are creating a safer and much more productive workplace. This is because your workers are going to know you care about their well-being and that you are taking steps to ensure they are protected if an accident were to occur.

Protection from Lawsuits

Workers’ compensation insurance isn’t just beneficial for the employees. If you provide your workers with this protection and they begin to receive benefits after being injured at work, it means they no longer have the legal right to sue your business. For many employers, this is a huge relief.

If you are ready to invest in workers’ compensation coverage for your business in Lakewood, CO, make sure to find a company that can help you. Our team at Colling Insurance Services Inc. is ready to help you get the coverage you need for a price you can afford.

Lakewood, CO business owners need to make sure that they are providing themselves with the proper level of protection. Accidents, mistakes, mishaps, all of these incidents can take place at any time. That’s what makes commercial insurance such an important aspect of any business. 

Fulfilling Legal Requirements

Businesses do not always stop to consider the legal requirements that they need to fulfill. Colorado requires business owners of all sizes to purchase the necessary insurance. Colling Insurance Services, Inc. agents are on hand to explain these legal requirements so that a business owner can avoid costly lawsuits, fire damages and data breaches. 

Protecting Employees

Colorado requires businesses to obtain workers’ compensation insurance, as a means of protecting their employees. When employees suffer illnesses and injuries as the result of work related issues, the employer is on the hook for these expenses. Without commercial insurance, medical care, missed wages and even funeral benefits become the responsibility of the employer. 

Protecting Customers

In addition to protecting employees, a Lakewood, CO business owner will also need to make sure that their clientele remains protected. Property damage, product liability, personal injury and bodily injury are all crucial areas of consideration when it comes time to find the best commercial insurance policy for a business in the state of Colorado. 

Increased Credibility 

A business that does not take the time to consider commercial insurance is a business that is permanently damaging their own level of credibility. The average consumer is not going to want anything to do with a company that does not care about the welfare of their customers or their employees. Risk management is something that must be taken with the utmost level of seriousness if the business is going to thrive over the short term and the long haul.

If you would like to learn more about the ins and outs of commercial insurance, experienced Colling Insurance Services, Inc. agents are standing by. Be sure to stop by as soon as possible, so that you can receive a free quote with zero obligation. 

The value of your inventory probably makes up a sizable amount of your company’s overall assets. It’s important to have adequate coverage in the event of a covered loss. The team at Colling Insurance Services Inc. understand how important protecting this aspect of your Lakewood, CO area business is, and we are here to help. With the right commercial insurance policy, you can rest assured that you have the coverage you need to meet your inventory loss needs. Don’t be caught with an inadequate policy level because you miscalculated your inventory coverage needs.

Make sure you have sufficient coverage for inventory loss

Commercial policies need to do a lot of work, they’re there to protect your plant and equipment, injuries sustained by employees or customers, commercial vehicles, property, and the list goes on. With all of the assets that businesses need to protect it is not surprising when some are overlooked. Inventory can often fall by the wayside when firms are calculating exactly how much comprehensive commercial coverage they need. There are also times when inventory is valued in the moment rather than looked at on an annual basis. If you determine your coverage when inventory is at a seasonal low, you may be underinsured if an incident occurs when your inventory levels are at their highest. Make sure that you protect your inventory, no matter the time of year, with a comprehensive policy that is calculated properly. Your local agent can take the time to review all of your needs.

Is it time to review your current commercial insurance policy and make sure that you have the coverage you need? Call or stop by Colling Insurance Services Inc. today and let us help you protect your Lakewood, CO area business from inventory loss. 

Lakewood, CO, like many cities, towns, and states across America is seeing a surge in the numbers of companies working with independent contractors, as well as a surge in the number of people running a small business, being self-employed, and working as an independent contractor due to the shift toward the gig economy. Whether you are a small or large company, an Uber driver or a carpenter, it can be confusing trying to figure out where you understand without talking with your Colling Insurance Services, Inc. Agent. Here’s some information to give you the basics. 

Is Workers Compensation Required For Self-Employed or Independent Contractors? 

The State of Colorado requires all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, with very few exceptions.  You are required to carry workers comp if you: 

• Employ any workers in Colorado, even part-time. 
• Hire workers, even if you don’t consider them employees.  

There are common law guidelines to help you distinguish employees from independent contractors, but Colorado has a strict workers compensation system and is firm about independent contractors and subcontractors being considered employees unless they don’t qualify under specific exceptions in Colorado state law. 

Here are the few exceptions:  

Corporate officers and members of an LLC – If you own at least 10% of the company you can opt-out of coverage if the rejection is done in writing, otherwise, Colorado includes you in coverage.

Sole proprietors and partners — You have the option to include yourself but are excluded from required coverage. 

Maintenance and domestic workers: Some maintenance and domestic workers may not need to be covered by the law if they only perform work on a part-time, limited basis for a homeowner. 

Do Self-Employed and Independent Contractors Need To Buy Their Own Workers Comp? 

While workers’ compensation insurance is not required in Lakewood, CO, it is a good idea for self-employed and independent contractors to provide coverage for themselves, as the chance of injury still exists for entrepreneurs.  

Whether you are an SMB or a large corporation, an independent contractor or self-employed, if you have questions about your worker’s comp needs, give the insurance experts at Colling Insurance Services, Inc. a call or come by our office for answers today. 

If you’re starting up a new business in the Lakewood, CO area, you may be curious if you will need to carry workers’ compensation insurance.  In Colorado, all private and public employers are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance if one or more persons are hired for full- or part-time employment.  By law, a person hired to perform services is considered an employee and there few exceptions to this definition.  Here are the few exceptions to a business being required to carry workers’ comp insurance.

Exceptions

• Some casual repair or maintenance work is done for a business that does not exceed $2,000 in a calendar year.
• Domestic work for a private homeowner that is not full time.  Work consisting of over 40 hours a week or five or more days a week.
• Licensed real estate brokers and agents that work on commission.
• Independent contractors that perform hire for transport jobs and other independent contractors that do not fall under the employee definition. 
• Drivers under a lease agreement that have a common contract carrier.
• Some volunteer work may be an exception.
• Host home services that are part of residential support services.

There may be other situations that can fall under the exception rule, but you want to be sure.  In general, unless your business falls under these few exceptions, your company will need to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

Colling Insurance Services, Inc.

Colling Insurance Services, Inc. operating in Lakewood, CO specializes in customized insurance products to meet the simple or complex needs for your business. If you are uncertain about the need for workers’ comp insurance for your business, contact a Colling agent today.  Our agents can help you navigate the workers’ compensation laws and feel confident you have the coverage necessary.